robert_e_bone
I did post a link to the 5 seconds of music I am struggling with, in case anyone feels like helping a guy out.

Is it possible to download that from Soundcloud do you know?  I've had a look but can't figure out how.
 
tbh it sounds to me like a straight up & down scale arpeggio, going up a little higher in the second phrase.  I don't think there's any interval going on other than a 2nd.
 
Soundcloud seems to have stopped working completely now, oh well.  Bit hit and miss that site.  I only got one listen in before SC broke :-/

Hi - I am working on figuring out the keyboard lead of a favorite prog tune, and in one section the keyboard lead notes get lost in the mix.

Robert, this is a mixing problem that can be solved by using:
1.) Complimentary EQ Techniques with every instrument in the song
2.) Special panning techniques so each instrument is in its own 3D Stereo Filed. You need to place instruments in the Back Center, Middle right, Middle Left, Front Right, Back Right, Mid center, front center and so on. You do this with a series of short delays (reverbs) and panning techniques with sends, tracks and buses.
 
Dong those 2 things will make each instruments in its own frequency field and have its very own place in the 3D stereo image. Things are not just left, right and center.
 
Thank Me,
CJ

CJaysMusic

Hi - I am working on figuring out the keyboard lead of a favorite prog tune, and in one section the keyboard lead notes get lost in the mix.

Robert, this is a mixing problem that can be solved by using:
1.) Complimentary EQ Techniques with every instrument in the song
2.) Special panning techniques so each instrument is in its own 3D Stereo Filed. You need to place instruments in the Back Center, Middle right, Middle Left, Front Right, Back Right, Mid center, front center and so on. You do this with a series of short delays (reverbs) and panning techniques with sends, tracks and buses.
 
Dong those 2 things will make each instruments in its own frequency field and have its very own place in the 3D stereo image. Things are not just left, right and center.
 
Thank Me,
CJ

I'll pass this advice onto Ken Scott so he can thank you personally!
 

Thanks, all.  I will look at all of the above later this afternoon - I have to go run a zillion errands.
 
Bob Bone

ston
Is it possible to download that from Soundcloud do you know?  I've had a look but can't figure out how.
 
tbh it sounds to me like a straight up & down scale arpeggio, going up a little higher in the second phrase.  I don't think there's any interval going on other than a 2nd.

Yes, exactly what I would say, other than that the 4th might be a passing note.  Something like
3-4-5-8-9-10-9-8-5-4-3 for the first.  Similar for the second pattern, but starting higher in the scale.
 
What makes this tricky is that the synth voice has a really strong harmonic, maybe a 10th or something.  If you can get your ears to focus in on the fundamental, I think it will be a pattern similar to the above.
 

carl

CJaysMusic

Hi - I am working on figuring out the keyboard lead of a favorite prog tune, and in one section the keyboard lead notes get lost in the mix.

Robert, this is a mixing problem that can be solved by using:1.) Complimentary EQ Techniques with every instrument in the song2.) Special panning techniques so each instrument is in its own 3D Stereo Filed. You need to place instruments in the Back Center, Middle right, Middle Left, Front Right, Back Right, Mid center, front center and so on. You do this with a series of short delays (reverbs) and panning techniques with sends, tracks and buses. Dong those 2 things will make each instruments in its own frequency field and have its very own place in the 3D stereo image. Things are not just left, right and center. Thank Me,CJ

I'll pass this advice onto Ken Scott so he can thank you personally! 

lol

I did finally figure out the first pattern, which is a Cmaj7 chord arpeggio figure.
 
I was gone most of the day, and got that first one just prior to leaving earlier.  I will hit the second one tonight, after a nice cup of fresh-brewed French Vanilla coffee.  It's over an Am7 chord.
 
By using EQ to roll of low and hig frequencies, outside the range of 160-1.3 hz, then using a program called The Amazing Slow Downer, I was able to slow it WAY down and loop the first arpeggio and that gave me its notes.
 
I shall do the same with the Am7 and all will be well in my world.
 
Thanks again to all, 
 
Bob Bone
 

Don't know if anyone has suggested it but you could apply for stems from whoever has the rights to the original. Tell 'em you wanna remix or use a portion of the song. Some require upfront payment, which obviously wouldn't be what you're looking for. But some will give you stems as long as you've signed an agreement to give them their percentage if you ever sell the results. And that is of course, if stems already exist for this song? As getting stems made, costs dough as well.

This was recorded in the 70's, and stems only existed on roses.
 
I have deciphered the notes in question, by applying EQ and rolling off frequencies below and above the ones I was looking for, and when slowed down in another application I was able to get it all figured out.  Twas quite the bear, but it is done now.
 
Thanks again to all for assisting, 
 
Bob Bone
 

scook
R-Mix sounds perfect for this application

I know R-Mix didn't help in this case because it doesn't have the ability to zoom in tight enough to isolate the frequencies that Robert needed.
 
However, I wanted to put in a plug for R-Mix.  I'm working on a big band arrangement for a signer.  I have been trying to get a voice track from him so I will have a good idea how he phrases things -- I can keep the horn punches out of his way.  We were never able to connect in a normal sort of way, so my fallback plan was to catch him at a rehearsal and have him sing into a field recorder, with an MP3 player in his ears.
 
It seemed like a good plan until the guy with the key to the union hall never made it, so the band was standing outside waiting for 45 minutes, in a noisy environment.  I figured I might as well try to capture that recording.  There was a a lot of background noise, especially other band members talking right next to him, and the noise of traffic driving by.
 
But R-Mix was able to really isolate the vocal pretty well.  By adding a noise gate to the chain, It actually was a pretty clean recording -- a lot better than I expected.
 
The only problem is that because of the noise, he wasn't in sync with the music all the way, but I can tell what he was trying to do I think.  And then he said my MP3 track was about 20 beats too slow.  So my next move is to do the 30-day trial of Melodyne.  Looking at the videos, I ought to be able to put his vocals right where (I think) he intended them, and do it at the faster tempo. 
 
OK, it would be a lot faster to drive over to his house and just record the *^%$#% thing again, but this is war.  I'm determined to make my plan work.  :)  But seriously, if Melodyne can really do what it says, this would be an awesome tool, so I am eager to try it out on this low risk project.
 
And speaking of noise removal, if Melodyne can actually find all the real notes, then it seems like there  ought to be a way to throw away everything that Melodyne didn't consider to be real notes.